The Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) system in Nairobi is part of the big four agenda by the Kenyan government to improve the transport sector. Kenyans have eagerly waited to see its implementation since the mention in 2018, that was followed by an act of 'governmental faith' of marking the bus-only lanes while the buses were still nowhere in the picture. The witnessed construction of this system is therefore a relief to us and a redemption to the the state's reputation which would otherwise be branded a failed promise. The BRT aims at decongesting the city of Nairobi by reducing traffic along the busy roads while also serving low income earners by operating at lower and steady prices in comparison to the normal charges by ‘matatu’ operators.
The Kenyan BRT has several classic cases to borrow from, in ensuring effective installation and operation. This system has been implemented in several countries before, proving a significant level of efficiency. Within East Africa, the first bus rapid transit system in Tanzania has operated since May 2016 in Dar es Salaam. The system is operated by Usafiri Salama Dar es Salaam Rapid Transit (UDA-RT). It is currently serviced by 140 buses operating between 5am and 11pm. Off-the-bus fare payment system has been adopted to allow faster boarding and off-boarding. The BRT system in Dar es Salaam has three different types of stations (terminals, trunk stations and feeder stations) depending on their location and functionality. Bus terminals contain parking spaces for personal vehicles and access to feeder roads. Phase one which is 20.9 km has been completed and operational with five more phases under construction aimed at serving over 90% of the city’s population. A good one for the people!
Several other cities beyond the continent have developed notable transport systems. Sao Paulo has one of the best developed bus-only lanes in the world. The first BRT in Brazil was built in 1974 while the Sao Paulo bus corridor was created from 2003-2004 to improve the popularity of public transport which consequently grew from 44.7% (2002) to 55.3% (2007). In early 2014, 150km of full BRT projects were completed, buses are currently being used as a top priority means of transport. Isn’t this commendable? Public participation in the development of these systems has been greatly significant in boosting user confidence. Sao Paulo’s developments in public transportation provide a great example of the reality that major cities around the world have to aggressively consider technology to deliver good transport systems.
With the high population growth in the city of Nairobi, traffic is a major concern. Well, this has been a challenge for the longest time as it is estimated that Kenya loses over Ksh 50 Million per day due to traffic congestion. The current population of Nairobi stands at 4.3 million according to the 2019 census with NTSA registering a total of 7,000 vehicles monthly. Travel speeds within Nairobi have been rendered slow due to traffic congestion attributed to the increased number of vehicles (mostly private vehicles) along the main roads with Mombasa road being the most notorious. Thika Superhighway at its inception attempted to decongest the city, but has slowly become one of the roads with heavy traffic. This begs the question of whether additional lanes and highways is the ultimate solution…Of course not! It requires effective systems, accompanied with technology to improve our public transport. Kenya’s consideration for BRT is therefore a step in the right direction.
The BRT system is set to utilize bus-only-lanes to ensure fast and reliable transport. Different from other BRT systems seen around the world, the third lane (Simba) of Kenya’s BRT system will take advantage of the footbridges along the Thika Superhighway on which the stations will be located. A park-and-ride facility is planned for construction at Kasarani to allow for commuters heading to the city center to leave their vehicles and use public transport.
Away from congestion, the BRT system in Kenya seeks to address pollution by reducing the number of personal vehicles along the road corridor. By transporting a total of 28,000 people per hour in one direction, the need for personal vehicles will be greatly reduced.
The construction process is being undertaken in two different phases; phase one (Clayworks-CBD-KNH) and the second phase (Clayworks-Ruiru).Construction of pick-up and drop-off points is ongoing, supervised by Nairobi Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (NaMATA). Stations under constructions currently are at Safari Park, Roysambu, Kenyatta University, Clayworks and Kahawa Barracks. The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy projects that the government will need at least fifteen years to fully implement reliable bus rapid transport.
The current BRT corridor along Thika Road was projected to cost ksh 5.8 Billion undertaken by a Chinese firm (Stecol Corporation). The entire BRT project is expected to cost Ksh100 billion with the other five lanes: Ndovu (Kangemi-Imara), Simba (Bomas-Ruiru), Chui (Njiru-Show Ground), Kifaru (Mama Lucy to T-Mall), Nyati (Balozi-Imara)
Scheduled transport will be adopted by the buses to allow for convenience since travels will be predictable. A bus door width of 1100mm, platform level boarding and off the bus fare collection are some of the considerations that have been put in place to ensure the buses save on time. Fare collection will be done through an electric system at the bus stations. Considerations for people with disabilities have also been put in place since the stations will have an electric system designed along the guardrails that serve people on wheelchairs, the elderly and also mothers with small children.
While the government makes this commendable effort towards reducing traffic congestion, it is important to note that the infrastructure is one bit of it and the general operation is another very important bit too. This is a segment that demands careful application of digital technology in order to sustain the good that the infrastructure presents. We must also consider more strategies that are complimentary to this system, as we proceed to improve movement and living around our city.
At DezynBild Consult, we are keen to bring you insights on architecture, construction and matters of public projects.
This particular piece was put together by Lameck Owesi and Raphael Muindi, through a period of detailed research.
DezynBild Consult provides services of Architecture & Construction Technology Solutions. +254 715 429 997 | info@dezynbild.com
Very informative, thank you for the insights.
Learnt so much from this article!
On point! Yes, with 4.3 million residing in Nairobi, and an extra 2 million who work in Nairobi and live in it's environs - Rongai, Thika, Kitengela etc (therefore commute every morning and evening, in and out of Nairobi): effective systems accompanied with technological advancement will help our economy as opposed to building more lanes.
Insightful! Luck to have interacted with this article.
BRT is a smart move by the Government since expansion will not always be an available option. Very insightful article here🙌
Great insight Lameck!